Tricks to clear rusty floor drain trap

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The cable needs to be twirled, so the whole cable scrapes along the walls of the pipe.

If all you are doing is just pushing in a straight cable by hand, you're just poking a hole in the fatberg.

Look at some of the Super Vee videos, and see if it fits your application.
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Jm66208

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Thanks, but it seems more like a rustberg than a fatberg, and because the turn is so sharp, i cant get anything larger than the smallest cable around the bend.
 

Reach4

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Any chance that you have a cleanout bypass that would be the iron version of this?
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Jm66208

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Of course, thats exactly what it is. 1950 vintage. The clog is in the trap. The washing machine drains into this floor drain. Probably has since 1950. Last plumber simply removed the cleanout plug and left it. Drains fine now, but they are complaining about the sewer gas smell...
 
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The problem isn't the cable.

Did you get a Super Vee to twirl the cable? It's not going to go away with a few strokes.

Often you are using the Super Vee for a good hour minimum. As you clear out more and more, you can add the smallest head, and then move onto bigger ones like the clog chopper.

If you can't find the missing plug, a giant wad of plumber's putty in the cleanout is better than living with migraines, headaches, bad temper, couples fighting.
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Reach4

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Of course, thats exactly what it is. 1950 vintage. The clog is in the trap. The washing machine drains into this floor drain. Probably has since 1950. Last plumber simply removed the cleanout plug and left it. Drains fine now, but they are complaining about the sewer gas smell...
I would try sticking a medium Brasscraft drain bladder down the hole as far as you can.

You could consider playing your pressure washer wand into the bottom of the hole, but that would be messier. And maybe a Clog Hog on your pressure washer would work. I am suspecting the cheap and easy drain bladder will get things going better.
 
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Jm66208

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I've already replaced the cleanout plug with a tee cone. Problem is the clog is in the trap, so now water backs up when the washer drains.
Im afraid the rust clog is harder than anything i stick down there to break it up.
 
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You don't mention how you are doing to "anything i stick down there".

You need a mechanical device. Otherwise your arms and hands will fall off.

A Super Vee rental for a day is cheaper than digging it out and replacing the whole floor drain. Good luck.
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Then at this point you have nothing to lose.

Before you dig it out, might want to try an arsenal of stuff like CLR, pure food Vinegar, Iron Out, etc., if you can afford the time to let it sit there for a few days. Although liquids to solve your problem isn't optimistic, I'd still accept those odds, short of digging it out.
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Dj2

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From what you are describing, cutting the floor and replacing the trap is the only way.
Meaning: chemicals won't do a thing for you.
 
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